P.O Box 74, Newlands,
Cape Town, 7725, South Africa
Tel:
(+27 21) 689 4480
Fax: (+27 21) 685 5884
Email: frontfel@gem.co.za
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