Following God back to the Lugot

In February of this year, a team of YWAMers from Arua, Uganda and Yei, Southern Sudan set out on a journey to find the Lugot…the ‘People of the Mountain’. This isolated group lives in a cluster of seven villages in a place called Isore, in Upper Talanga, Southern Sudan near the border of Uganda.










Our team drove to the end of the nearest road, parked the car, and hiked for 5 hours to reach Isore. What they found there broke their hearts.


With an estimated population of 6,850 people, there is not one pit latrine. There are no hospitals, no clinics; not even a little shop selling soap or sugar. The Lugot people walk 12 hours to the nearest town to buy salt.









The lack of pit latrines means that every time it rains, feces is washed downhill to pollute the river where the Lugot collect water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and washing. Instead of using the beautiful, fertile ground to grow food crops, it is used mainly for growing cassava and sorghum that are harvested, fermented and made into a local brew. Alcoholism is rampant. The locals live on wild greens, honey and bush meat. (For the full story, see The Tragic Reality of the Lugot of Sudan)


Our team returned from that initial visit with intestinal diseases and a heavy burden to do something to help these people. Through prayer, it was decided that this year’s Discipleship Training School (DTS) would use their 3-month outreach to go back to Isore and help the community reopen an access road originally built by King George.




To set things up, two of our DTS staff went back to Isore last month (August 09) and men with the Lugot Chief to discuss the possibility of our DTS team coming to work with them. This time, what they found made their spirits soar.






Where before there had been a spirit of despair and hopelessness, now there seemed to be a new attitude of optimism and possibility. Evidence of this was the building of

Isore’s first classroom,

a simple structure of poles and grass, but a structure nevertheless.








Previously there were no classrooms.
















Not only that, but the land was covered with tall, strong maize stalks that the people will enjoy for many months.

YWAMer Mario walks through the maize 'forest'

When our DTS staff members met with the Chief (Patrick Olweny), they were amazed by his warm reception and positive attitude. His words give us many insights into the World View and ideas of these people:

“Isore has been highly favored by God,” Olweny said, “because ever since the time of our ancestors, when King George lived here and built a road for us, we have continued to see his favor to date. We would have all been dead by now because the LRA were very active here, and neither the UPDF (the Ugandan army) nor the SPLA (South Sudanese army) could manage them, but God, through these young men here, managed to flush them out. You see, we don’t even have any health facility here and we are drinking dirty water from the stream, yet God has provided our people with such immunity that none of them die easily. Our women are not like yours in Uganda; ours deliver like goats without any complications at all.





“We are so grateful for your coming because it has opened the eyes of our people,” Olweny continued. “Now we have no threat of famine like they do in the neighboring villages. Our people were able to cultivate maize and, thank God, rain has never disappointed us ever since your coming. And now that you are coming again we can totally remain assured of God’s love for us. You are like his angel whom he sends to open the eyes of those he loves.”

Roasting maize (Mario on the right)





Though the living conditions may seem quite acceptable to them, there are great needs in this place: the need for safe drinking water, primary health care, education (including adult literacy), proper farming practices and, of course, evangelism. But at the moment the greatest need is for an access road where vehicles could reach at least one of the seven villages in Isore.

Please pray for the DTS outreach team and the Lugot people as they work together to reopen the road and practically demonstrate the love of God.

The DTS team left for Isore on the 14th of September. Stay posted for more photos and updates of their outreach! Also, look for this story on YWAM’s international website: www.ywam.org in the next couple of weeks.

Hi! My name is Felicity - I have just come back from an amazing 2 weeks at the Arua base and have been asked to write a short post giving a visitors perspective…so here we go…!

During my first week at the base I learnt that wherever you are in the world there is always a need for people who are fanatical about organising and tidying! And the office is looking loads better as a result! It was good fun to be able to do odd jobs and be useful on the base. During my second week, Firestarters, a church youth group from Coventry arrived so I joined their programme to help them settle in and plan outreach in a local village – their blogpost

will be coming up soon so look out for stories of their adventures and all God has done in and through them!

This was actually my second visit to Arua, my first visit was in 2007 as part of a student mission team. When I arrived this time I was really struck by how much the base had grown and how there is a constant pressing forwards of their vision. In 2 years it has changed so much – new buildings, new bridges (a good addition – I nearly fell in the river so many times on my last visit!), new people, new ideas and new ministries. I felt so at home and settled there – in fact I didn’t really want to leave! It is an inspiring place – their attitude of looking forwards and seeking the opportunities God is creating rubs off on you – I have been challenged in my walk with God and in the plans I had made for my future. It makes you realise that through God all things are possible and so much more than you can imagine.

YWAM East Africa Regional Staff Conference 2009

Our East Africa Regional Staff Conference was held at YWAM Arusha base in Tanzania last week.


The theme for our conference was: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. (Prov 3:5)

Approximately 300 YWAMers gathered from the countries in the region including Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Southern Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Other YWAMers came from South Africa and South Korea to bless us with their presence.

It was great to catch up with old friends, and see the Body of Christ in YWAM in all its unique colors and nationalities.

Our keynote speaker was Sung Gun Hong, the Regional Director for YWAM East Asia. He's been in YWAM for more than 30 years, and his testimonies were very encouraging. He challenged us to stay in the presence of God, to cling to our Father and not go out of His will. He reminded us to be faithful in everything, and to pass on the baton of Faith, Obedience and Vision to the next generation. He concluded by exhorting us to be a blessing to the nations, just as we are blessed as we follow God.








Edwin Phillis on the right (Base Leader of Muizenberg, South Africa) declared that God wants to restore the Identity, Dignity and Destiny of Nations. He led us in an exuberant time of praise and worship that celebrated the national diversity within our gathering.

John Mukolwe on the left (Base Leader of Arusha, Tanzania) translated for Edwin.








Our East Africa Regional Directors, Method and Mary Kamanzi from Rwanda, gave lots of input into the conference. Method reminded us that the righteous shall live by faith, and talked about the challenges and rewards of trusting God for everything, and Mary led a workshop on HIV/Aids, and Families at Risk.



Here Method and Mary honor 'Baba' Choi from South Korea who is the founder of YWAM Arusha base.





Sitini on the left (Base Leader of YWAM Morogoro, TZ) translated for Jeremiah (National Director of YWAM TZ and Base Leader of YWAM Dar es Salaam). Jeremiah showed great humility and transparency with his testimonies on the struggles he has faced in YWAM and God's faithfulness through each of those struggles. He challenged us to a life of Christ-like servanthood, and encouraged us that tusting in the Lord means REST from our anxieties, fears and selfish ambitions.




Sitini also translated for Sam Kisolo on the right (National Director of YWAM Uganda) who exhorted us to unity and humility. He reminded us that humility is generous and selfless, and it opens the doors for others to excel.















Each day YWAMers from different nations led the whole assembly in worship.

The team from YWAM Tanzania
led us the first day.

Rwanda led us on Day 2...

...and Uganda took over on Day 3.

Edwin, Jeremiah, and Leo enjoy the worship.

The kids caught the spirit of worship and
joined the Rwandan team on stage.

John Wright (Base Leader YWAM Arua, Uganda) dances with his daughter, Keziah.

Baba Choi praises the Lord.

Sitini kneels in
worship to
God.





The conference ended with a 'Love Feast' followed by a blessed time of communion and prayer for the nations.

It was a very special week that we are still feeling the blessings of.

Many thanks go out to the team in YWAM Arusha for their hard work, commitment and excellent standard of service and hospitality. They were a big blessing to all of YWAM East Africa. May God bless you all!!

Emerge Team from Colorado

The team that we have been preparing for has finally arrived. It is a team of 9 girls from all over the States. For most of the girls on this team, this is their first time being over seas and for some their first experience with missions. They will spend 12 days here in Arua. Please pray that God uses this team to be a blessing here to both the base and to the people we meet in Arua. Also, pray that these girls' hearts are broken for what God is doing in Africa and in missions.


So far, they have already visited a local village called Vurra, where they lead VBS for the nursery school there. They put together many skits, songs, dances, and much more. It was a great time for them to share the love of God with the children here in Uganda. It was such a blessing to see how excited the children were to play with bubbles and balls.


We also had the opportunity to pass out over 150 Mosquito nets to families in need. These nets were paid for by some college students from the States, who heard about the Malaria problem here in Uganda and raised money to buy mosquito nets. We like to think of them as the hands that raised the money and our team as the feet that delivered the nets. Please pray that God brings an end to Malaria in Uganda and all of Africa.

Hello,

This is Amanda(the visitor from the United States) writing again. My husband and I have been having a great time getting to know all of the amazing families on the Arua base. Here is a photograph of my husband playing with some of the babies on base. He is now proud to say that the babies no longer shriek in terror at the mere sight of him! Please pray that God continues to bring families to do His work here in Arua.

It has also been a blessing to be on base while the Discipleship Training School has been in session. They are currently on their sixth week and learning about relationships and marriage. It challenges me to be around believers, who are so eager to go deeper in their walk with the Lord.

It is so exciting to have students from so many different African nations coming together to study. There are students from Nigeria, Sudan, Uganda, and the Congo.

Please pray that these students continue to grow and mature in their faith. Also, pray that God prepares these students to go to the nations and share the unfailing love of Christ.

Hello,
My name is Amanda Degler and I will be filling in for Vikki for the next few weeks. I am currently visiting Arua for one month and we thought it would be fun to give readers an outside perspective of the base and all that is happening here.

My husband and I came from the ywam base in Colorado Springs. We were excited to see that a team from Colorado Springs just built a new bridge for the base here. Apparently this is the sixth or seventh bridge that the base has had, because the rain keeps washing them away. This bridge is a sort of symbol of the base's purpose, which is to be a bridge of healing to the nations. This is a perfect mission for a base that borders Sudan, Congo, and Kenya. Over the past few weeks, we have heard many stories of how they are reaching each of these Nations. It is so exciting to see their God-given vision becoming a reality.

Since we have been here on the base, we have had a great time playing with all the children here on base. Here is a photo of some of the staff's children. We find it amusing that they call my husband and I, Uncle and Auntie.

Well, that is all I have for now, but I will be sure to keep you updated on what is happening here in Arua.

Eric Higiro

This is the second post highlighting a YWAM Arua staff member. Today we'd like to introduce you to ...

Eric Higiro

Eric is an out going, dramatic young man, who relates well with people, and delights sharing the word of God with others. He enjoys working with the youth and loves to see Muslims come to faith in Jesus. He is passionate about bringing hope to the hopeless and sharing in their challenges. His heart is to see God bring true forgiveness and reconciliation between his fellow Rwandans, freeing people from the bitterness that has existed since the genocide.

Eric did his DTS in 2007 in Rwanda, his homeland. After doing his outreach in Arua, he came to like the way the base related to the local community. He joined the staff in 2008. His passion is to see God open doors for ministry to the un-reached people in the neighbouring countries.

During his free time, he loves to pray and to visit his friends. He shares his testimonies of how he has grown in the knowledge of God since 2007.

As you read this post, Eric is on a journey back to Kigali to meet with some Rwandan pastors and other YWAMers who are serious about mobilizing the African churches to financially support their African missionaries. Many years of being on the receiving end of missionaries and financial aid has left many of the African countries with a wrong conception that missionaries come from the West and are supported by the West.

But the Great Commission calls ALL believers to go and tell the Good News, and that includes African Christians. We are excited that the Church in Rwanda is catching the vision of supporting their own people into missions , and we are blessed that they called Eric back to Kigali to discuss the calling God has given him to be a missionary in Uganda.

We are trusting God that some of the people Eric talks to will feel called to start a support team that will be praying and providing financially for him. At the moment Eric has no regular financial support.

Let's pray for Eric and the people he is meeting with, that they will hear God clearly and join hands in seeing His kingdom come in this place.

YWAM Arua staff pray for Eric as he prepares to visit Kigali