Back in Dallas!

Our team arrived back in Dallas yesterday afternoon. We want to thank all of you who labored with us in prayer and in financial support during our time in Sudan. We had a great celebration with Bishop Taban and leaders of the EPC on Friday night....in fact we had some good Sudanese Bar-B-Q....which definitely gave BBQ a whole new meaning for us!

We know that our time in Sudan was very short and yet as a group we sat down on Saturday night in Entebbe, Uganda to share about our time together and all were so encouraged to know that the gospel was proclaimed to many kids in Sudan and that these kids are loved by the mothers (widows who take care of the orphans), leaders, teachers, and their pastor at each orphanage. What an incredible privilege it was for us to proclaim the gospel and to tell of God's Holiness, Justice, Love, Mercy, and Victory.

Please continue to pray for the orphans in Sudan (and His Voice for Sudan), the ministry of EPC (an incredible, gospel-centered church in Yei), and our group that through our time and in the coming weeks the Spirit would continue to stir our hearts, minds, and affections for Jesus Christ and His purposes upon the earth.

Grace to you in Christ,

Drew

Last Day at the Orphanages

Wow, we can't believe this week is over. Today was the last day for each team to go to the orphanages. We have been truly blessed by this week, and very very encouraged by the ministry that is going on here at the EPC and at Lora and Morobo orphanages.

Today we finished our study by talking about how God is "victorious". It was a day of celebration at both places. The kids now have a motion they do when they hear each word - holy, just, loving, merciful, and victorious. We pray that as we leave this place, that they grow to understand more of the character of God. Even with the language barrier, we can see how much they have learned. The men at each orphanage that have translated have been amazing, and they love working with the kids. We know that the kids have heard the Gospel proclaimed this week, and that they have been hungry for it.

As we left Lora today it was sad, but also very encouraging to know that they are being shepherded by amazing leaders. We didn't come here to be their saviors, but to love them and teach them, and continue the work of the church, These kids are very well taken care of, despite the pain they have seen. We can see hurt in their eyes, especially the older orphans, but they also have incredible hope and joy in the Lord.

Tonight, we ate dinner with the leadership of EPC, as well as Bishop Taban and his wife. They were able to pray over us, and thank the Village Church for their partnership. One thing he said that stuck out was, "Please keep coming - we are united as brothers and sisters by the blood of Christ, and we will all be transformed."

The biggest thing the Lord has shown us this week is how much the people here sacrifice for the Lord. The Sudanese church leaders and the staff at each orphanage literally give their lives for the work of God. There are also missionaries here from Germany, Scotland, and Ireland, and I have been incredibly humbled by how hard they work and how much they give up to serve here. We hope and pray that God continues to guide us as a team and as a church in how we are supposed to serve in international missions. The harvest IS plentiful, and in many places the workers are few.

Jesus calls us to deny ourselves, to pick up our cross, and to follow him with all that we have. It's convicting to thing about how much I indulge instead of deny myself, and look to comfort more than serving. We pray that God uses our time here to continue to challenge us as we go home. We will never forget this week, and the kids that we formed relationships with.

We leave Yei tomorrow (pray that it doesn't rain, since it's a dirt runway...) and then we leave Uganda late Sunday night to fly home on Monday. Pray for safe travels! We are excited to share more with you about what the Lord has done this week. Be encouraged today that God is much bigger than our city or our nation, and He is at work around the world in huge ways.

in Him,

Kristen

Day Four: Lora and Morobo

Today was a beautiful, rainy day in Yei! Both teams headed out, prepared to teach the kids about the cross and how God showed us mercy by sending His son to die in our place. Each day with the kids, I feel they are coming out of their shells more and more. In such a short amount of time, it's difficult to really get to know each of the kids. I think many of us have struggled with the fact that we just simply don't have enough time to form the relationships we would like to. I find comfort in the fact, that though tomorrow is our last day, what we are really here to give the kids at Lora and Morobo is something that doesn't leave when we climb into our vans and drive away. We are here to communicate the message of reconciliation through Christ, the hope of Christ, and this does not change according to our countries, our houses, or our friends.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19 "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation."

In Him,

Hannah Elmore

I just wanted to write a quick note about how encouraged I was today at Lora. The upper classes (P6 and P7) were given the opportunity to ask questions about the lessons for the last couple of days. I honestly didn't expect that many questions because they seemed to be somewhat disengaged during the teaching time. To my surprise, they began to ask some very theologically rich questions. For example, one of the boys asked me, "If death truly is the punishment for sin, why are there bad people that live and good people that die?" We were also asked about why Adam and Eve's sin in the garden was severe enough to earn death. I was able to answer these questions as well as a few others along with John, an evangelist that works at the orphanage. I would answer a bit and then he would add something more to it. He told me the things he added were things he learned at one of the pastors conferences put on by The Village in the past couple of months. I was so excited to see some fruit of the work our church has been doing here. More than that, it is exciting to see how the Lord works through the barriers of culture and language to bring glory to himself by reconciling the nations to Himself.

"For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen."

-Romans 11:36

Grace,

Justin Gladney

Day Two: Morobo

Yesterday both teams headed out for day two of teaching, we taught the kids “God is Just” through the story of Noah as well as the ten commandments. I am on the Morobo team, so yesterday we separated the kids into three groups. Our first group had the P5-P7 kids, the second had P3-P4 kids, and the last group was P1 & P2. Like the Lora team, we had acted out the story of Adam and Eve on the first day, so yesterday we tried something a bit different. We taught them how to make the sound of the rain and we asked them their favorite animal. When asked their favorite animal, we definitely got some different responses, some said “chicken”, some said “goat”, and one even said, “bush rat!” Apparently a bush rat is about the size of a small chihuahua, they are hunted with a bow and arrow, and “taste delicious.” I think we all will just take their word for it!

The kids really enjoyed making the sound of the rain and they laughed and giggled making their animal sounds. I think the thing that has struck us most with the kids is their absolute joy. We noticed this first in Morobo when we got to play with the kids on Saturday. But even now, in our lessons, we can see their joy. They sang, “We are happy today in the house of the Lord.” It’s been an encouraging and convicting lesson for us as a team to be reminded that our joy doesn’t come from our circumstances, but Christ alone.

Philippians 4:10-13 "I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

Thanks for your prayers and for keeping up with us!

In Christ,

Hannah Elmore and Stephanie Mabe

First Day at Lora

Today was the first day we got to teach at the orphanages and overall, I feel like we came away encouraged but also surprised. God has consistently shown us that this trip and the ramifications of it are in no way affected by what we do but completely controlled and known by him. Today was no exception.

I am on the team going to the orphanage in Lora. An illustration of our surprise: the first class we were to teach to was supposed to have 30-40 kids in it and just in the nick of time, 90-100 kids walk in the door. This probably has something to do with the fact that we are teaching not just to the orphans but also to many kids from the surrounding community that come there for school. Remembering that nothing is in our control but all known by God, we just kept going. The attention of the kids is truly amazing and their facial expressions are indicative of how they soak up every word of God they hear. They listened and seemed to have a good time with us, the youngest to the oldest. A man named John, who lives at the orphanage, is translating for us. His enthusiasm is incredible and it's not hard to tell how much he loves the kids.

We taught today how God is holy. To explain this, we used the story of creation, how Adam and Eve sinned, and how that sin separated us from him. God being holy and perfect, he is always separate from sin. I would ask that you pray that this lesson penetrates the kids' hearts and that God would reveal to them his holiness.

Today was the also the first time we actually got to just play with the kids at Lora, which was great and needed. We got to spend time with them, throwing a tennis ball around, playing with a jump rope, playing duck duck goose, and really just getting to know them a bit.

We were very encouraged by John when he told us as we were leaving, "I will remember today." Please pray that God would use today to bring the kids more comprehension of his unending love for them.

In him,

Ross Chehayeb

3 days in Sudan

Hello! We are so sorry for the delay in posting, but we've had some technical difficulties. We are finishing our third day in Sudan!

We arrived Thursday around noon, and the plane ride here was great. We enjoyed some rest that day. Friday the whole team went to Lura Orphanage to play with the kids and introduce ourselves. Kim G, Kalin, Chelsea, Kristen, Ross, and Justin will be there next week. Then today, we went to Morobo orphanage to play and get to know the kids there. Amy, Stephanie, Hannah, Kim D, and Drew will be there next week.

The van rides have been long and VERY bumpy, but everything is worth it when we get there. We have LOVED being with the kids, and been so encouraged by their faith. We can't wait to start teaching about who God is on Monday.

Please pray for us as we sabbath tomorrow, and prepare for a week of teaching. We will be talking about how God is holy, just, loving, and victorious, and will be using Bible stories to show those things. Pray that ultimately they will know Christ and the Gospel in their hearts.

We can't wait to spend the week with them! Love you all and hope you're doing well!

- the team

A Day in Uganda

Today we were able to sleep in (most of us) and start to get adjusted to the time! We are loving the place we get to stay here in Uganda. We walked down to the market area, with a Ugandan lady named Florence. It was a beautiful day! After lunch we headed to Lake Victoria.

We leave tomorrow for Yei, bright and early. Pray for safe travel and a wonderful day of rest at the EPC compound in Sudan. Love to you all! Everyone is doing great, and we are thankful that God is providing so much already.

Our "hotel":

Lake Victoria:

Here!

We are in Uganda, safe and sound! We got in about 9 pm here, and are staying at a beautiful bed-and-breakfast type place. The team is currently sitting outside enjoying the stars and getting ready for the week!

Tomorrow we're going to rest and stay here in Entebbe, and enjoy Lake Victoria. Please pray for us as we prepare to head to Yei, Sudan, early Thursday morning and preach the Gospel next week. Pray for unity within the team and for preparations for teaching.

Love to all!

Sudan Itinerary and Prayer Guide

Sudan Itinerary and Prayer Guide

Trip leader: Drew Trenz
Team members: Ross Chehayeb, Kim Durall, Hannah Elmore, Justin Gladney, Kim Grizzle, Kalin Hanna, Stephanie Mabe, Amy Miller, Kristen Segulja, Chelsea Smith

Purpose of the trip:
We will be traveling to Yei, Sudan to work with the two orphanages associated with EPC (Evangelical Presbyterian Church- no affiliation to the US EPC denomination) and His Voice for Sudan. EPC has asked The Village Church to send teams to work with the orphans. Each orphanage has about 100 children and the purpose of visiting the orphans is to teach the knowledge and glory of God, love and encourage the kids, and serve the widows and all those who work at the orphanages.

Other information:
Trip dates: June 7-21st
Time difference: 8 hours ahead of Dallas (central) time.

Monday and Tuesday June 7-8th: travel days. Our route is Dallas to Amsterdam; Amsterdam to Entebbe, Uganda.
On these days, please pray

-For our team to be bound together and unified
-For opportunities to share the gospel as we travel
-Our physical bodies – ability to rest on flights and protection from sickness

Wednesday, June 9th: day of rest in Entebbe
On this day, please pray

-For our bodies to adjust quickly to the time change and we would be able to sleep
-For our interactions with people in Uganda; that we would see every person and circumstance with spiritual eyes
-Continued unity and brotherly affection for one another
-Peace and covering for the families that remain at home

Thursday, June 10th: travel from Entebbe to Yei, Sudan
On this day, please pray

-That we would be able to fly to Yei on the pressurized plan (as opposed to the unpressurized plane) and that we would be protected from sickness
-That God would grant favor with luggage. There are very strict about the number of bags and the weight of those bags. Pray that there would be no issue and that all luggages will make it to Yei.
-Our focus as we settle in upon arrival in Yei would be upon God’s glory and the privilege of taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to the orphans of Sudan.

Friday-Saturday June 11-12 Days 1 and 2 in orphanages in Lura and Morobo
On these days, please pray

-For favor with the kids at Morobo and Lura orphanages as we begin to build relationships with the kids
-We would engage these kids in love and humility
-Our minds and hearts would be set on serving to the glory of God


Sunday, June 13th, attend church at the EPC, Sabbath
On this day, please pray

-As we worship, the word proclaimed and sung would penetrate our hearts and call us again to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
-We would remember the grace extended to us in the gospel and reflect upon this grace throughout the day of rest
-We would cultivate deep relationships and unity as a team
-We would engage and encourage those around us
-We would prepare our hearts and minds to travel to the orphanages and teach the next 5 days
-That God would graciously provide and protect our sleep

Monday-Friday June 14th-18th: Orphanage days 3-7
On these days, please pray

-For the Lord to give clarity, favor and discernment as we they interact with the kids, widows and staff at the orphanages
-For the kids and widows in the orphanages – that they would see and feel the unfailing love of the Father through action and word.
-For those who will be interpreting at the orphanages
-That God would graciously provide and protect our sleep
-That our team would be unified; that we would be faithful to encourage one another; that God would protect us from a grumbling spirit.

Saturday, June 19th: fly back to Entebbe. Day in Entebbe
On this day, please pray

-The faithful pastors and leaders associated with EPC and the orphanages- through them God would be glorified, the true gospel proclaimed, and Jesus would be worshipped, and the kingdom of God would continue to grow.
-For grace and protection as we travel
-That we would be able to fly back to Entebbe on the pressurized plane
-We would examine our hearts this day and in the coming weeks to the Lords leading in how we engage in the global implications of the gospel when we return to Dallas.

Sunday, June 20-21, Travel days; Depart from Entebbe Sunday evening, return to Dallas we arrive in Dallas at 1:40pm Monday afternoon.
On these days, please pray

-For the ability to navigate any logistical challenges
-Our physical bodies as we travel
-Opportunities to share the gospel
-That we would continue to bear the spiritual fruit of patience, kindness, joy and peace through the very end of our trip