These Are Our Visitors

An excerpt from...

These Are Our Visitors

Putting down roots in South Sudan
By Jen Lavery, Volunteer, Kenya
January-March 2014

“These are our visitors, Joy and Jen. They are from the group that brought the gospel to my people in Kenya.” This was our introduction by Africa Gospel Church missionary Brian Mutai to the village administrator in Nyinbule, South Sudan. Brian is the fruit of the seeds that WGM planted among the Kipsigis people 80 years ago. Generations later, we get to share in the legacy.

Brian’s wife, Debbie, has been working in South Sudan for five years, serving as a clinical officer in the village clinic she helped build. After they married, Brian joined her to work with local church pastors and community leaders. When it was suggested they expand their work to target children and youth in the community, they agreed with the need but didn’t feel they had the expertise or skills necessary. They conveyed their concerns to Mango Ministries. What started as a simple conversation and prayer has developed into a working partnership.

I don’t speak Dinka. I am only beginning to scratch the surface of the culture. Because Brian and Debbie have been living among the Dinka for several years, they understand the culture more deeply, have some grasp of the language, have relationships, and see the needs more closely. They knew that churches needed more than just children’s choir directors; they needed leaders who could effectively teach the Bible and practical health lessons to children to reach the community. But they needed help to train the leaders. I can do that. We, in Mango Ministries, are gifted medically and educationally as well as in community health to help meet some of the vast needs of this new nation, but we recognize how much we need other’s vocational gifts and gifts of relationships, language, and cultural knowledge and sensitivity.

Mango Ministries’ motto is:  “Putting down roots, bearing fruit, and multiplying the harvest.” We are privileged to join in multiplying the harvest of WGM’s early efforts and putting down roots in South Sudan. None of us can do it alone.

ACT: Invite others to join the partnership of Mango Ministries through sharing. The WGM website offers you a free speaker outline that will give the details of sharing the impact and needs of this ministry. Download your outline at www.wgm.org/outlines.