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Into
the Unknown
(Part 1)
Dear
Friends and Family,
I
have just returned from a series of 3 mission trips into
Sudan. Preparation for this was extremely difficult. Most
of our trips into Sudan are difficult and dangerous, but
I had no idea what to expect from this one. Back in June,
while on a ministry tour in the States, I received a fax
from South Africa saying that our mission base in Sudan
had been occupied by SPLA soldiers and looted.
To
make matters worse, our situation with the radio confiscations
still isn’t completely resolved as they have yet to
return them. As you know, it was this situation that led
to my arrest last December and then the arrest of my director
Peter back in April.
The
SPLA have always been our friends and we’ve always
stood by them in their struggle against the Government of
Sudan’s (GOS) tyranny. However, no matter how noble
the cause for which they fight, there are still strains
of corruption and tribalism within the movement. Such was
the case now, and it was up to me to assess the damage and
see what kind of future we would be having there.
"For
I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity."
Isaiah 61:8
Because
of the uniqueness of this trip, I was to fly in alone. As
our radios had been confiscated, I had no means on me to
communicate with the outside world if I were to run into
trouble. Our future work in Sudan was dependant on the results
of this one trip. I knew that I was in way over my head
and could easily lose my life, but also I knew that the
Lord’s favor was with me. During the entire month prior
to my departure the office staff and I had fasted and prayed
for this trip. Although I didn’t know what to expect,
I was confident in God’s providence, which He has always
faithfully demonstrated.
The
landing in Mundri was successful and over 3000 Dinka New
Testaments, along with 3 bicycles, 2 water pumps and food
were delivered to the Church for distribution. When we arrived,
I was not allowed to return to our mission base, so I went
to the Church compound 15 miles away. I was hoping to be
able to use our vehicle that was stored near there in our
absence. However this was also not possible. I was given
a letter from the same soldiers that had occupied our base
with orders for the vehicle not to be moved. If I were to
disobey the orders given in the letter, then they would
have an excuse to confiscate the vehicle and we would probably
never see it again. At least I still had the bicycles that
I’d brought in with me.
Over
the next couple of days I conducted thorough interviews
with 17 people including some of the school’s teachers,
students, as well as a number of church and civil leaders.
Because
the soldiers still occupied the mission base, I wasn’t
allowed to go there to assess what was damaged and stolen.
However, from the interviews, I knew for certain that the
8 bicycles of our last shipment that we brought in for the
local pastors were taken as well as all our food supplies
eaten. This was all done under the orders of the local military
garrison.
One
of the more interesting interviews was with the County Commissioner,
who is the civil authority in the area in charge of our
security. He was as unhappy about the looting as I was,
and was doing his best to see that things would be resolved
justly. His advice to me was that I, along with the Church,
make an appeal to the senior officers of the movement. The
appeal would request them to form an investigation of what
was stolen, so that those who are responsible are punished
and the stolen items returned. Later in the interview I
asked him permission to see the mission base and to visit
the local military garrison, who was responsible for the
theft. His response to me was "There is no reason for
you to put your life or ours in danger." This surprised
me because their culture is normally so polite that they
will never indicate to you that there is any danger even
if there is. Yet clearly he knew a lot more about the dangers
than what he was telling me.
Over
the next couple of days I completed some ministry before
I could get a flight out to Kenya. Once I arrived in Nairobi,
I met with the church leaders and together we drafted a
letter to the heads of the SPLA movement who we were supposed
to meet with. The meeting never took place, as they were
still out of town busy with the peace talks that had been
ongoing for the past few months. Nevertheless the letter
was still delivered to them, and I’ve since heard that
an investigation has been ordered. Though the future of
this matter is still unknown, I can still praise God for
my safety and His providence in the meetings that were arranged.
We continue to trust that God will work in the hearts of
these leaders to see that justice is done. Please continue
to keep these matters in your prayers.
This
trip was the first of three in the last few months. I would
like to especially thank you for your continued prayers
and support that undergirded each of these trips and made
them a success. This is most clearly seen from my second
trip into the Nuba Mountains where I nearly lost my life
on two occasions. More will be said about that in my next
letter – next month. Thanks again.
Your
Brother in Christ,
Timothy
Keller
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